I have succumbed to posting on AIBU!

I always put antibacterial gel on my hands when I leave a supermarket.

We live in a village in south Oxfordshire and in the hot weather, standing on our local hill the landscape is lost in a haze that is caused by air pollution.

Curious dichotomy - we are in many cases fanatical about bacteria and there are anti- bac products for every area of the house but we have at the same time become complacent about our own efforts at hygiene. I also understand overuse of such anti-bacterial products can increase the resistance of “ bugs” to antibiotics.
How often in the Ladies are you aware of people rushing out who have clearly not washed their hands? (Can’t speak for the Gents)
How many people just sneeze into mid air, without even thinking of using a hanky or tissue? Not covering their mouths when they cough? Or rush to the doctor expecting antibiotics for the common cold?
I think we have become too complacent and reliant on antibiotics as the cure-all they were intended to be. There is no denying they are a life saver but, bugs are coming increasingly resistant. One day we will run out of options.
I know of several case of sepsis within the last year, including deaths because the infections failed to respond before the patient became too weak fight them off.
And how many elderly people develop infections after they are hospitalised ?
Yes, bugs do not cause allergies, but bugs do cause bacterial infections and we can no longer rely on antibiotics to sort us out. Anti-virals are similarly no longer the safety net we hoped they would be.
I think the Lifebuoy soap and rigorous hand washing of our childhood was more crucial than we realise.
Time to revisit the hygiene habits of the past. Ask any retired nurse!

Allergies are more common now due to greater pollutants in the environment, nothing to do with being too clean. If people are sloppy with hygiene they do get sickness and diarreah and the whole family can be unwell for a long time.

I've got a compromised immune system and advised to avoid cold, flu and other infectious illness. So is my daughter whose RA is being treated with a biologic which strips her immune system. There are many others including an increasing number of children who have compromised immune systems who are medically advised to avoid people with colds etc.

Lots use anti septic wipes on super market trolleys as the handles have been proven too be major carriers of germs.
People are just not washing their hands with hot water and soap as they did years ago.

I suffered four serious bouts of pneumonia and was hospitalised each time before I was six years old. I also suffered from regular bouts of bronchitis all through my childhood and teenage years. Eventually I was diagnosed with adult onset asthma, for which I take two inhalers and medication every day of my life, plus steroids and antibiotics whenever I have a bad enough flare up. It now seems probable that I always had asthma but it wasn’t so often diagnosed in the past. However, whilst germs do cause chest infections which cause flare ups, the worse culprits for asthma attacks are diesel fumes, any type of sprays, and of course cigarette smoke. My home is free of aerosols, and cigarette smoke (no one amongst my family/friends smoke) and our cars are set on air recirculate. I still try hard to avoid germs though, for me germs can potentially cause a severe asthma attack and I’m unwilling to risk that, so gels and antibacterial wipes for me when I’m out and about.

DIL told me yesterday she hates soft play places so rarely takes our four year old grandson to them. He loves them! She says the thought of dirty hands and feet on soft surfaces and the thought of the germs horrifies her. I reckon that's one of the ways children build up an immune system. A bit of dirt didn't do us much harm as kids.

Endre I totally empathise. My DH also had a compromised (ie non existent) immune system after a transplant 20+ years ago and had several episodes of sepsis which required prompt hospitalisation and the right IV antibiotic.
DDR has Psoriatic Arthritis and did a 5 year drug trial (one of those ending in -“-uximab” ) which left her similarly unprotected. Despite commuting and working in Central London and frequent long haul flights to Hong Kong and China, she stayed remarkably free of even the common cold.
But it does make you nervous.
DH always used to wear gloves when on trains and buses as so many infections are spread by touch. Other than that, common sense and good basic hygiene was all that was needed.
Until he went into hospital for something else and got the almost obligatory UTI and chest infection, but that is another story......

DDR should be DD.

Our community health nurse says it is better to wash hands than to use anti bac gel in terms of cleanliness alone.

I travel on public transport a lot but never think twice about infection unless I am sitting in the close vicinity of a coughing/spluttering person!

phoenix Good discussion! I agree! We were told we needed "a little peck of dirt" . I also agree about dogs, people are weird about them. You are more likely to catch germs from humans.

Something that always surprises me though, is on programmes such as "MasterChef" how often the Chefs touch the food. They touch it all the time, carefully placing it on the plate to make it look beautiful.

On Celebrity Masterchef, however, I could not help noticing that John Partridge, who won, often rubbed his hand over his mouth, quite obviously pulling down his lips and so apparently getting his hand wet, and then went back to touching the food he was placing on the plate. It put me off posh food.

I am more worried about the potential harm from frequent exposure to anti-bacterial products than I am about the average germ.
That said, I do hate having to touch a germ-ridden door handle to let myself out of public toilets after washing my hands!

I need a bit of advise I have a wasps nest in the eaves of my house and on coming home from holiday there were 30 wasps in the house mainly kitchen and bathroom ten were dead and the others weak is it to late to get in touch with a wasp controller because of the month can any one tell me

Erm, Grandmother1234 I think you may have posted on the wrong thread!

Funnygran IMO, you are right, your DIL is wrong!

However will she cope when her DS goes to school? does he already go to nursery/playgroup? pretty sure they are not germ free zones!

Do you all remember the phrase "we can't wrap them up in cotton wool"?

Perhaps it should be brought back as "we can't cover them head to foot in antibacterial wipes, put them in a child version of those outfits worn at scenes of crimes and expect them to have a normal, happy childhood"!

Somebody mentioned Dettol (sorry, read it before and now can't find it as my brain wants to go to sleep), which reminds me of a bacteriology experiment where we compared what grew after swabbing our hands before and after washing with Dettol at the recommended dilution. The Dettol made absolutely no difference.

Why does nobody build toilets with doors which open outwards? There must be buildings with enough room for that, for example where the door would open against a corridor wall. Then you would just push it open and not have to think about touching a dirty handle after washing your hands.

Actually I’m currently watching a science programme on BBC4 where they are looking at rubbish degradation. They have just dug up rubbish from 30years at least and it’s all still completely intact to the point you can read the newspaper (it’s was the TV guide with Hidehi with Sue Pollard). We have all been responsible for polluting the earth going back decades.

The only difference decades ago rubbish went to land fill and that was it out of sight out of mind

Does your DIL take her child out doors to play.

I very rarely took my kids to soft play areas but they went out doors in parks and our local country park to play and socialised with lots of friends at each other’s houses.

That dr has never been in a primary school surrounded by children, the primary school environment is certainly not sterile

What disease do children suffer from now that your generation didn’t?

My husband tells me off for sucking and biting my nails. He said thats the worse thing for germs??

I hasten to add I only rarely bite them now but I do suck finger tips - terrible habit I know.

MamaCaz I'm afraid you have to call the Council Pest people or a Private firm. I learned this when I had one in the garden and was contemplating my own cunning plan for removing it. Apparently we are not allowed to do it ourselves, I have a feeling I was told they are protected! They do pollinate plants actually. Good luck!

Momof3 Much more asthma. I think it's the crop spraying and pollution from exhaust fumes.

MawBroon Again I totally agree! (I was in complete agreement on the SIL in MIL's bedrooms thread).

I have noticed how cursory people's hand-washing is. After working in a hospital I have always washed my hands the hospital way. In primary school we were given "lessons" on hand-washing! I think there was a flu epidemic. Also, I think, using bar-soap makes one rub one's hands much more than just taking a bit of squirty soap. I adore Wright's Coal Tar! I could smell it all day!

Regarding Loo doors, I try to keep a bit of paper hand-towel and open the door with this. If people look at you as if you are mad don't worry! You probably will never see them again!

I read recently that the area around your aeroplane seat is very dirty as there is too little time for the crew to clean between flights. Always wipe your tray, never put food on it. Wipe the window area if you are going to lean on it. Wear shoes, never go bare foot. Do not have ice cubes or tea or coffee (but I have forgotten why!) just drink bottled water. Don't use the blanket. However, I have done several of these a few times and survived! It was in a Reader's Digest online which they sent me on email a while back. Apparently the flight crew say these things and a lot more!

GreenGran78 You have just reminded me - I hardly ever get asthma but get it really badly from - guess - cleaning sprays! That is, the ones used for "polishing" wood, and the others which are not in compressed cans, and are used for cleaning kitchens!

I don't use any antibacterial products. I make my own kitchen spray from white vinegar and water, with a bit of washing up liquid. So much cheaper and just as effective. So many of the soaps and sprays in places irritate my skin even after a single use.